Holding Out for a Hero
by DarthSylar
Summary: The continuation of Holding Out for a Hero has Mare-DO-Well dealing with her struggling emotions, the excitement of being a hero and a new threat that will stop at nothing to destroy her. Please and Read and Review...there will be FlutterMac


_**Disclaimer: **_**I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, it is the property of Hasbro. This is the continuation of the fic Returning the Favor so please read before going into this series. Please enjoy and see you in Brighter Days. **

**Part One: Small town Heroine, Big time dreams**

The summer sun was high in the sky above Ponyville. All the town's ponies were out and about shopping and talking and generally enjoying the day without a care in the world, knowing down in their hearts that despite their proximity to the Everfree Forest that they had a mighty protector watching over them from the shadows of dark alleyways…or as it might be the cold laboratory of Ponville's resident egghead.

"Greeting everypony! I would like to call this third meeting of the Rainbow Dash Humility Project to order." The purple unicorn said, clad in a simple black bodysuit, to three other ponies in similar bodysuits and a bare white unicorn.

"Really? The Rainbow Dash Humility Project? Ah sorry Twi. Ah do believe it hits the nail on the head but Ah'm sure ya could've thought up something a little more…interesting." An orange earth pony said with a tough drawl.

"Arg! AJ! I know the name isn't creative. It isn't supposed to be creative. It's just we call these meetings and means discuss our progress with teaching Rainbow a valuable lesson in friendship."

"Friendship…pffft, I thought we were being superheroes" A pink earth mare said as she jumped into the air with her forehooves outstretched and holding for a few moments before suddenly falling back to the ground. The others gave a questioning look before dismissing her gravity defying act. "And I'm with AJ we need a way cooler name than that. How about the Secret Six?" The purple unicorn, still confounded by the bubbly pink ponies act of physics defying, answered.

"Pinkie the whole reason were doing this is to show Rainbow some humility. And the name is fine!...and there are five of us!"

"Twilight, darling. I know your tastes are more simple and utilitarian, but considering the bombast and drama our enterprise requires. I must concur with Pinkie Pie, a name change would be appreciated." The white unicorn said reclining on a fainting couch, despite it being too big to have been brought down into the Library Basement.

"I'd, um, like to vote for a change of name, eep." A meek voice rang out coming from a small yellow pegasus desperately attempting to hide behind her long pine mane. The purple unicorn at the head of the room slapped her right hoof against her forehead.

"Ugh! No! The name is the Rainbow Dash Humility Project! It is what I wrote on the black board! Can we just get on with the meeting! UGH!" Twilight shouted as she levitated a pillow over to her and screamed into it. Everypony else shrugged and remained quiet. Upon ending her freak out Twilight rolled out her chalk board.

"All right girls. I believe we are making great strides. AJ good job on stopping those timber wolves outside of town and pulling that filly out of the well."

"Ah just can't understand foals today. Who in their right mind thinks it's a good idea to play round an open well. That's the third this week, Ah reckon."

"Pinkie once more your Pinkie Sense came in handy during Luan's 'accidental meteor shower'"

"It was no promblamo ma'am. And for corrections they were comets and they make the most awesometastic ice cream sundaes." Pinkie said before sticking out her tongue and salivating.

"As good as you may be Pinkie. I do ask that you be more careful. I have had to mend your costume seven times this week."

"The life of a superhero is fraught with danger, daring and as tragic as it may be, damage to clothing. It's just way it works baby." Pinkie said hoping up and down on Rarity's couch, much to her annoyance.

While this was going on the meek, pegasus Fluttershy was lost in her own thoughts. The previous day after helping Twilight save the town from a dam collapse, and further 'teach' Rainbow humility, she helped save two ponies from falling to their doom in a carriage accident. One was a little filly whom she often had over with two other fillies for sleepovers, name Applebloom. The other was her brother, Big Macintosh. Her heart fluttered at the mere mentioning of his name. She remembered, back to the day she got her cutie mark. When she was lost and alone, facing down a deadly Manticor, he appeared like a shining knight out of an old pony tale valiantly defended the creature and saved her life. And now she had saved his. She began to feel a warmth in her chest, remembering how just how close she was standing to him, how grateful he was for her saving him, how deep his emerald eyes and how much she wanted to-

"Fluttershy!" She was snapped back into reality by the shouting purple unicorn. "Equestria Fluttershy!"

"Oh, um, sorry Twilight. I was um, a little distracted." She said a deep red blush washing over her face. Twilight looked on…not amused.

"Just tell us what you did yesterday." She said impatiently tapping a ruler.

"Oh, well. I did that fly by you wanted me to do." She felt really embarrassed admitting to that part, still not understanding Twilight's master plan to make Rainbow Dash humble. "And on the way back to my cottage I…I saved Applebloom and Big Macintosh from going over the cliff." Sudennly the orange mare gripped Fluttershy in a tight bear hug, nearly choking the air out of the frail peagasus. Releasing her she began to vigorously shake the mare's hoof

"Yeah! Ah gotta thank ya for that Shy. Ah couldn't believe the luck that one of us was there to save 'em. Thank ya" Applejack continuing with the hoofshake.

"Oh, it was um, no problem. I was glad to save Applebloom."

"And Big Mackie!" Pinkie Pie chimed in. Fluttershy blushed even more.

"Yes, and Big Macintosh."

"Yeah. You should've seen that lug of a brother of mine. He and may sister spent all night gabbing all about your acts of daring do and such. Swear they were awestruck by the Mare-Do-Well." Fluttershy couldn't believe her ears. Macintosh, Big strong Macintosh was awestruck by her!

"Well ladies. I think we've done well these past few weeks. I believe that soon Rainbow Dash will come crawling back to us and admit that she took the bragging and show boating a tad bit too far." She said bearing them that awkward grin she has whenever something goes according to plan. "Time for supper!" Thusly they all began to exit the laboratory save for Fluttershy and their host, who was busily writing out the Mare-Do-Well schedule for the next week on her black board.

"Um, Twilight!"

"Yes, Fluttershy." She answered, not diverting her gaze from her work.

"Well, um I was er, wondering, if, just maybe, I could have a few more days as Mare-Do-Well this week." Twilight dropped her chalk and turned to face the now quivering pegasus.

"I don't know, Shy. It's a lot of work and could dangerous."

"Oh, but I just want to be more a help to everypony. I mean Pinkie and Applejack have jobs and I can always get the animals food set up early so I can take longer shifts."

"I understand. Work here at the library has been getting away from me. I mean just this week we had five people come in. And three checked out books." Fluttershy just smiled at the fact that Twilight was easily the worst librarian she had ever seen, not that she would ever say that out line. "And with the way you handled Big Macintosh and Applebloom yesterday…sure I'll give you some more time as Mare-Do-Well."

"Oh thank you Twilight You won't regret this." She said as calmly as possible. For insider her mind she was so excited to be getting this chance, to help the ponies of Ponyville and her friend Rainbow Dash and maybe get to spend more time with Macintosh. That big strong hunk of a…

"Um, Fluttershy?" Fluttershy was once more drawn out of her day dreams by the purple mare who was pointing at her sides. Fluttershy gasped at she had found her wings were high and outstretched. She let out and 'eep' and fled out of the library as fast her legs could carry her.


End file.
